This question and answer from DVSA ‘Moving On’ seems to fit your query. However the animals carried must be your own, carrying your neighbours’ animals is general haulage so you lose all exemptions. The easiest thing to do is set the tacho to out of scope and print out every time.
Question from Stephen
"I have a trout farm and deliver our live trout to our customers for fishing. I use a 7.5t MAN but want to replace it with a pick up(Hilux etc) and trailer combo. We never exceed the 100km radius of base but this would be about 6t GTW. If I was to buy a new Iveco 5t and trailer combo but keep below 7.5t, do I still need an Operator Licence and tacho?
As I see it the pick up is free of everything (OL and Tacho) the Iveco needs OL (over 3.5t) but not a tacho. Is this correct?
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Replies to Stephen
Comment by Moving On posted on on 10 April 2015
Hi Stephen,
As far as EC drivers hours is concerned (and consequently the need to fit and use tachograph recording equipment) then the use would fall into the derogation for “vehicles used or hired, without a driver, by agricultural, horticultural, forestry, farming or fishery undertakings for carrying goods as part of their own entrepreneurial activity within a radius of up to 100 km from the base of the undertaking”. With this derogation there is no limit to the size of vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination so as long as the vehicle or combination is used to carry your own goods as part of your fishery business and you keep within the 100 kms radius from your base then you will not be in scope of EC drivers hours or tachograph regulations. The driving will however be in scope of the GB domestic drivers hours rules and more details on those rules can be found in our booklet which can be accessed via this link:
gov.uk/government/publicati … cles-in-gb
In general goods vehicle operator licensing applies to the carriage of goods for vehicles or combinations of vehicles that exceed 3500 kgs although in some cases the trailer will not be counted towards the 3500 kgs total.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Moving On